Sarabi and Queen Gertrude

A Mother's Love For Her Son

Queen Gertrude and Sarabi do not have much in common but there are still connections hidden in the few scenes they appear throughout their works. Both are the mothers of the protagonists and love their sons very much and their sons are protective of their mothers in return. Act V Scene II, Hamlet and Laertes are sparing with foils, Laertes’s blade has poison on it Claudius provided for him and Claudius had also poisoned the liquid in the goblet that the victor will drink from traditionally. During the fight, Queen Gertrude praises her son for the skill he is showing during the spar and drinks from the goblet in his honor. Gertrude warns her son the goblet is poisoned, “No, no, the drink, the drink! O, my dear Hamlet! / The drink, the drink! I am poisoned” (Shakespeare, trans. 1992, 5.2.340-341) and Hamlet out of anger attacks Claudius for accidentally killing his mother. Claudius is stabbed with the poison blade and is forced to drink what remained in the goblet Hamlet’s mother drank from. Hamlet killed Claudius the same way the uncle killed his mother.

Sarabi does not marry or claim Scar as her mate when Mufasa dies, but she does remain the head lioness and is the main lioness to report to Scar about hunts. When Sarabi states her concerns about the lack of food and water in the Pride Lands Scar retorts by saying “[she is] not looking hard enough” (Minkoff & Allers, 1994). In response to Scar’s stubborn response she begins to compare him to Mufasa, but before she can finish her statement Scar strikes her with his paw and knocks her to the ground. Simba witnesses this and comes to her aid and states “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip you apart” (Minkoff & Allers, 1994) for striking his mother. Sarabi does not die, but the bond between Sarabi and Simba is as strong as the relationship between Gertrude and Hamelt; both sons would kill to protect their mothers from any form of harm.